SWIMMING

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 9

SWIMMING

(By SrtAsn.)

"There is a little more life and bustle about swimmers at present. After the. annual meetings bad been held there was a slump in interest, but tho past week has witnessed a revival. Tho season is to bo formally opened this afternoon with.a series of races at tho To Aro Bnths under the auspices of tho. Wellington Centre. The Swifts Club intends starting its racing programme with a race at the Te Aro Baths ■on . Tuesday ; evening. . It is . stated that tho . Swifts have secured several new swimmer's ;this season, including\a' r c6uple of j'pceht arrivals from Home, olio :of whom is going to'coach tho club members/.' The other', "it"is. understood, is an."export water pblo player. The Swifts have tho. making of an excellent polo team, . and,.' taken in hand by. a man who knows tho. gaino- {-hoy should develop into something- ibc-ye tho average. ~-.;■ ■ ...'; ■ :.:. .

Mr.''Wv T? Churchward, captain. .of the Swifts Club,, who is to leave for Blenheim at an ■■ early date, is to be entertained' at Godher's Rooms, Cuba Street, on Tuesday evening. The writer has had a great deal to do with Mr. Churchward during the. past three or four years, and has no hesitation in pronouncing him one of tho finest sportsmen in the Dominion'. Mr. Churchward has held practically overy ■ office in the Swifts. Club, of whom he was one of the founders, and during his term of office as secretary of tho "Wellington Centre won 'the' respect anil 1 confidence of everybody'ho was brought into touclv with. Nothing ' was too much trouble, for the Swifts' captain if-the doing :' of '. it would benefit tho sports It .is not too .much to say that tho removal of-Mr.-.Churchward is one of tho most unfortunate happenings that could- have overtaken" :the .sport. My sincere hope is that tho abundant success ho deserves may'bo tho portion of the departing swimmer. ; -

Tito Now Zealand Association will most probably withdraw from tho Australasian Championships at the conclusion of tlie existing agreement (says the "Canterbury Times"). It appears to bo a general opinion that tho amount incurred in sending representatives to Australia would bo much moro profitably expended in paying tho expenses of two or three good Australians to New Zealand

A poll of tlio ratepayers in Parnoll was taken upon a proposal to borrow £3000, of which amount it was promised to devote £1000 to the erection of salt water swimming baths, tho' remainder to go towards tho erection of a freo public library and readingroom. The proposal-was rejected by a largo majority. It was recently stated in Melbourne papers that tho ' secretary of tho Victorian Association was in possession of information to tho effect that Daniels, tho American champion, had decided to visit Australia during tho present season. This is now denied. F. E. Beaurepairo, the distance champion of Victoria, has boon sent to Sydney by the Albert. Par]; Club for. a course of coaching and training-under George Farmer, of tho llushcuttcr's Bay Baths (writes "Nautilus" in the "Australasian"). Beaurepairo is in good hands, for it was Farmer who "brought out" d.eorn-'! Read, tho professional distance swimmer of Australia. Private >, advices stato that Beaurepairo has much improved since his arrival in Sydney,, and that experts say there is a likelihood of him developing into a swimmer of the calibro of F. AV. Springfield, of Queensland.

Tlip New South Wales Association has added two championships to its list—22oyds. breast stroke, and all-round diving. .

American swimming authorities have been trying long-distauco Marathon races in Lako Michigan, and found them anything but satisfactory. A ten-milo event,.promoted by the Chicago Athletic Association, "proved to swimming experts that such a raco in still water is well nigh impossible, and, with, tho added handicap of a choppy sea and a head wind, the task is too great for-any man." Only one' Swatek,. who was on scratch with Gladzik, got over half the course, and ho was ta.kon from tho water almost unconscious. The others all dropped out before four miles had been covered.

At Burnley Baths, on Saturday (says London "Sporting Life" on September 23), one of the principal attractions was a match of 200 yds. level between the Scotch lady champion, Miss Etta Mackay, of Glasgow, and Miss Maggie Scott, of Baeup. The latter, who was lady amateur national champion in 1903 and 1905, was anxious to meet the Scottish lady, and,,as an outcome of.her challenge, the Hurnloy Club arranged to present a purse of gold to the winner. l'Yom a good start Miss Mackay soon took tho lead, and at the half distance hold- a. four yards advantage, finally winning by ten yards. Time —2min. 57 l-Sscc, beating tho'record, tho previous best time having been 3min. Ssec. ~ ■■..•■

The Victorian Association proposes to institute a long-distance race, similar to that carried out annually in the Thames by the English Association. If the idea is favourably received the event will be decided in tho Yarra, and the distance will be two miles. ' The Sydney "Daily Telegraph" says:—ln this city, abovo all places the world over,, where every member of the community— man, woman, and child—would appear to' bo a .surf bather or a swimmer to some extent, whero thousands of boys and girls'arc taught the art each year, and every school holds its one or more carnivals during the season, it is difficult indeed to.imagine the existenco of a non-swimmer, yet there is at'least one individual who candidly confesses inability to swim a single stroke, and he a .prominent swimming, official. During a speech at tho meeting of the council of tho Now South Wales Amateur Swimming Association a few days ago,. Mr. C. E. Morgan, ;Drummoync Club's delegate, stated that though lie hurt had a great deal to do with the sport of swimming—in its organisation, etc:, he was absolutely unable to remain afloat or 'propel himself a yard in tho water. Some of the State's hardest ■ and most effective workers in the cause of natation were, and are,.very poor swimmers—in fact, one or two have never been seen in the ■ water —but Mr. Morgan's case is without a parallel.